The Cabinet of Durham County Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday 6 May 2026, with a key focus on improving services for children and young people, and enhancing the quality of private rented accommodation across the county. The meeting agenda includes discussions on acquiring properties for children's services, expanding fostering initiatives, and potentially extending a selective licensing scheme for private landlords.

Acquisition of Properties for Children and Young People's Services and Creation of a Regulated Supporting Accommodation Service

A significant item on the agenda is the proposed acquisition of 25 housing units within County Durham, at a cost of £3.938 million. These properties are intended for use as temporary places of safety and supported accommodation for children and young people overseen by the Children and Young People's Services (CYPS). This initiative aims to reduce the council's reliance on expensive private rental properties, with an estimated annual saving of over £300,000. The report also outlines plans to establish an in-house regulated supporting accommodation service for young people aged 16-18, managed by a dedicated staffing team. This move is in response to the increasing complexity of young people's needs and the regulatory requirements for supported accommodation providers, which became mandatory from October 2023 under The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023¹.

Foster with North East Expansion and Development of a Regional Care Cooperative

The Cabinet will consider proposals to expand the existing 'Foster with North East' (FwNE) initiative and support a bid to become a 'Wave 2' Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) national pathfinder. This regional approach, supported by the Department for Education (DfE), aims to address the significant risk and financial pressure that children in care sufficiency poses to councils. The expansion will move towards an 'End-to-End' model encompassing all aspects of the fostering process, from initial enquiry to post-approval support. The report highlights that the current market model for children's social care is considered dysfunctional, driving up costs and delivering poor outcomes. The proposed regional structure would involve three locality delivery teams across the North East. If successful, the bid could bring approximately £1.5 million of additional funding into the region.

Selective Licensing Scheme

The Cabinet is set to discuss the continuation of a selective licensing scheme for privately rented homes in parts of County Durham beyond its current expiry date of 31 March 2027. The report proposes that this scheme, which requires private landlords to obtain a licence for their properties, should continue for a further five years, subject to consultation. The scheme aims to improve housing standards and conditions in the private rented sector, which accounts for approximately 21.6% of all homes in the county. The proposal includes designating specific areas based on criteria such as low housing demand, antisocial behaviour, and deprivation. A licence fee of between £550 and £700 per property is proposed, with the income intended to cover the operational costs of the scheme. The council is required to consult on these proposals for a 10-week period before a final decision is made.

Microsoft E5 Business Case Review

A key decision regarding the Microsoft E5 Business Case Review is scheduled to be discussed in Part B of the meeting, which is considered exempt from public and press attendance. This indicates that the discussion will involve the consideration of exempt or confidential information.